The Social-Cognitive Model Applied to Academic Performance and Persistence.

Nauta, Margaret M.; Kahn, Jeffrey H.

In this study 445 incoming freshman completed a questionnaire prior to arrival on campus about their outcome expectations with respect to successful college achievement and academic performance goals. During their second semester, 274 of these students responded to a questionnaire where Social-Cognitive Career Theory Constructs were again tested. In the fall semester of the second year, first- and second-semester GPAs were obtained for 255 of the enrolled students. An examination was conducted of the fit of Social Cognitive Career Theory's model of career and academic performance as applied to grade point averages (GPAs). Measures were also looked at to assess the ability of the social-cognitive variables to predict college persistence. Structural equation modeling suggested that the full performance model was not needed to predict GPAs. In the prediction of persistence, all measures of ability and academic performance and the social-cognitive variables assessed during students' second semester were significant predictors. Despite some limitations (low response rate; non-random missing data; a predominance of Caucasian and female respondents), this study presents several implications for intervention. Because the social-cognitive model may not explain all reasons a student leaves college, an integration of models may be most useful. (Contains 2 figures, 2 tables, and 14 references.) (JDM)